Pump control pressure switch with automatic air supply system



June 18, 1963 V. L. ANDREW PUMP CONTROL PRESSURE SWITCH WITH AUTOMATICAIR SUPPLY SYSTEM Filed Sept. l0. 1958 l n: mSnlSmS 3 Sheets-Sheet 1/NVEN TOR A TTOR/VE Y June 18, 1963 v. L. ANDREW 3,094,073

PUMP CONTROL PRESSURE SWITCH WITH AUTOMATIC AIR SUPPLY SYSTEM FiledSept. l0. 1958 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 A 7' TORNE Y 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 June 18,1963 v. L. ANDREW PUMP CONTROL PRESSURE SWITCH WITH AUTOMATIC AIR SUPPLYSYSTEM Filed Sept. l0, 1958 mw n NM m ma m N n T y M @fm V46/ UnitedStates Patent ii ice 3,094,073 Patented June 18, 1963 This inventionrelates to al pump control mechanism situated at `or near a water welland prump'sitel and to an automatic air supply system working in closecooperation therewith.

It has longbeen a problem to provideta reliable automatic airsupplysystem` for water pressureltanks'vand alsoto provide a frostprotected'pump control mechanism` mounted `on or in close association'with` the wellassembly.

It is a problem to prevent the control mechanismfromfreezing during coldweather with such systems; however,y

such systems have a number of advantages suchlasinrural` communitiesproviding anisolated pump electrlcal'circuit entirely separate from thebuilding circuits .sothat `m` case of tire, the water supply can bemaintained for lire ghting t purposes. p

It is an initial object of this'finvention to provide: a highlyeiiicient `automatic air supply system for a water supply pressure tankwhich works `in close cooperation with the pump mechanismto introduce apredetermined volume of air into saidpressure tank at tlrebeginning ofeach pumping cycle.

It is an important object of my presentl invention to provide a pumpcontrol located in closeassociationto a well and having an`air-transmittingpressure-sensing` devicey for actuating the pump motorcontrolswitch inl responsetoV variations in the water `supply pressure,saidr air-sensmg.

sure-responsive-system which can be quickly andeasily removed formaintenance andinspection.

These and other objects and advantages of,` my invention Vwill morefully'appearrvfrom the following descriptions made in connection. withtheaccompanying'drawings wherein like reference characters refer tothesame or similar parts throughout the several views, in which:`

FIG. l is a side elevational view'of one embodiment of my air supply andwell site pump control system withV parts thereof broken away;

FIG. 2 is a similar view of an alternative form of the invention; Y

FIG.` 3 is an enlarged detail sectional View showing thecouplingarrangement at the upper end ofthe pressure transmission systemshown in FIG.l 2; p l

FIG. 4 is a vertical'sectional view of a water bleeder valve;

P IG. 5 is a vertical'sectionaltview of an air supply valve; l

FIG; 6 is an elevational view of the relief Vvalve element, per se; and

FIG. 7 is a side elevational view o f another alternative4 arrangementshowing the controlssituated above a tankburied at the well site.

VAs illustrated in FIG. `l, provide an air supply and..Y well sitesituated pressure-responsive switch for submersi` ble pumps whereinnumeral 8 refers to the pump casing.

disposed below the connection `T 9, and numeralV 10 refers'to the pumpcasing disposed above saidL T. A subwhich cooperate with the insideofthe T 9 to isolatea distributingchamber 14 surrounding the head 12.VThe head 12- is hollow and receives from the supply-pipe 11Av anddischarges to the chamber 14 through ports 12C formed therein. A checkvalve 15 prevents back flow'ofV water from a pressuretank 16 which issupplied through the conduit 13 and said check valve maintains tankpressure inthe conduit `13` and the supply system communicatf ingtherewith above said check valve.

An air 'supply valve 17 is mounted in the 4supply pipe 11- incloselyspaced relation below thecheck valve 15 and saidrair supply valve17 has a resilient valve disc 17a, asbest shown in FIG. 5, loosely heldin a valve chamber bye-a `retaining spider 17b pressedtinto the valvecasing which is mounted in the side wall of the conduit or pipe 11. Thisvalve V17 constitutes a check valve but supplies air when a negativevpressure condition exists within the conduit 11.

A 'bleedervalve 18y is best shown in FIGS.- 4 and 6 and is mounted inthe side wall of the supply conduit 11A a Vpredetermined distance belowthe air valve 17. A poppet type valve element 18a is mountedwithinfthecasing valve 18 anda spring18b'urges said valve 18a intonormallyopen position. However, when wateris being supf plied throughconduit 11 Iby the pump, the water pressure overcomes the pressure ofspring 18b and closes the valve 18a against its `seat 18C. shown)includes a check valve (not shown) to maintain water within .the lowerportion of conduit 11. This is, of course, conventional pump design. Thecheck valve 15, however, positively prevents water from flowingl backdown through the conduit 11 from the tank 16 as has been describedabove.

An extremely small groove 18d is'in the form shown provided in thetapered sealing surface of the -valve element 18a in order to initiallyrelease the pressure in conduit 11 after thepump has been shut oif.`While this groove 18d-permits antextremely small amount ofwater torbedischarged through the bleeder port 18e in the valve 18 even durin-gthe`pumping operation, this is not objectionable, and since there isrepeated action of the valve element-18a back and forth with each on andoif cycle of. the pump,` said groove remains open and does not tend toclose with accumulation of foreign' particles carried by thewatersupply. The groove v18d inspring loaded poppet valve element 18a inclosed position against seatdesigned to open against the head of waterin the pipe' 11, but permits the valve to close again under pumpingVpressure whenever the pump isactuated. The discharge.

port 18e is sufficiently large to quickly drain the section of theconduit 11 disposed between the check valve 15f `and the bleeder valve18 and the `air valve will, ofl course,

be opened during this bleeding operation to permit this section oftheconduit 11 to lbe iilled with air.`

The. next time the pump is'actuated,.this air will be carried up throughthe conduit 11 and into the distributor` head 12 and the tank 16. Thevolume ofairA sointroduced into the system can be controlled by varyingthe Thepump mechanism (not v spaced relation between the bleeder valve18 and the check valve 15 when the pump unit is assembled.

A pressure-responsive switch 19, disposed at the well site, is connectedat the top of the upper casing within a protective water-proof box 20,and controls the actuation of the pump motor whenever the pressure inthe tank 16 and line 13 falls below a predetermined limit, Thisprotective box 20 may be situated elsewhere in close proximity to thewell to receive said controls. A pressuretransmitting conduit 21 ofrelatively small diameter is connected with the pressure-responsiveswitch 19 at its upper end and is connected at its lower end to anenlarged air-sensing and supply chamber or receiver 22 whichcommunicates at its lower end with the chamber defined within the hollowdistributor head 12 or chamber 14, which pressure is, of course, thesame as the pressure in the tank 16 and the conduit 13 since freecommunication is afforded therebetween. When air is supplied from theair supply section of the conduit 11 disposed between the ibleeder valve1S and check valve 15, this air will, of course, be carried upwardlythrough the conduit by the water supplied from the pump and will supplyair to the enlarged air chamber 22 if required, each time the pump isactuated, and this relatively large volume confined within the chamberor receiver 22 will be sufiicient in accordance with the design thereofto prevent any water from passing up into the relatively smalltransmitting conduit 21 when said air is compressed by the pressure intank 16 and line 13, and thus prevent Water from reaching thepressure-responsive switch 19. This is extremely important during coldwinter weather when any water reaching the switch 19 which is disposedabove the frost level would, of course, freeze and render the switch 19inoperative. In other words, a sufficient volume of air is alwaysmaintained in the air chamber 22 so that within the operating pressuresof the system this air cannot be sufficiently compressed to permit waterto be forced upwardly into the pressure-transmitting conduit 21. Thepressure exerted by the air confined within the chamber 22 will, ofcourse, be transmitted to the pressure-responsive switch 19 through theair confining transmission tube 21. A cap member C is supported on thetop of the upper casing section 10, which is threadably connected at itslower end to the upper end of the T member 9. A hanger pipe H isconnected at its lower end to the upper end of a spool or distributormember 12, and is connected at its upper end to the cap member C so thatsaid cap member supports the entire weight of the hanger pipe H, spoolmember 12, drop pipe 11 and the submersible pump mechanism carried bythe lower end of said drop pipe and illustrated for use with this formof my invention. 'I'he cap C seals the top of the well and the top ofspool 12 is, of course, closed to isolate the hollow chamber thereinfrom the area surrounding the hanger pipe H.

The form of my invention previously described is particularly adaptedfor use with submersible pump mechanisms. An alternative form of theinvention is illustrated in FIG. 2, which is adapted for use with areciprocating type pump mechanism such as the pumping mechanismillustrated and designated by the letter R. This pump mechanism and wellconstruction is of conventional design with the exception of the airsupply system. The well includes a lower casing sec-tion 8, adistributor T 9 and an upper casing section 10. A drop pipe 11 issupported from a distributor spool or head 25 and the entire assembly issuspended from a cap or flange member F, on which the actuating or drivemechanism of the pump is yalso mounted. A hanger pipe H connects theflange F with the spool 25. The pump actuating mechanism mounted on thetop of the ange F reciprocates the lower pumping piston elements in theconventional manner and the pump rod designated by the letter P, extendsup through the lower Well pipe 1-1, hollow spool member 25, rod packingmeans in the top` of said head 25 and the upper hanger pipe H. In theform shown, the spool 25 is provided with one or more check valves 26which serve to maintain tank pressure from supply tank 16 in thedelivery conduit 13 las shown. The air supply Valve 17 and bleader valve18 are of identical construction to the valves 17 and 18 described inconnection with the first form of my invention previously set forthherein. Air is supplied up through the drop pipe 11 whenever the pump isactuated by switch 19. As previously described, this air supply isprovided by means of the air supply valve 17 and bleeder valve 18, thecheck valves 26 holding back the water from the pressure tank 16.

A modified form of a pressure-responsive control switch andpressure-transmitting system is illustrated in FIG. 2 and is somewhatbetter adapted for use with the reciprocating pump mechanism R than ismy previously described form of the invention. In this form thepressure-responsive switch 19 is mounted on the top of a supportingstand pipe or outer conduit 29 and is connected thereto as by a uniontype connector 31. An air transmission tube 28 is concentricallyconfined within the outer pipe 29 and has an outside diameter smallerthan the inside diameter of the outer conduit 29 to provide aninsulating dead air space 30 therebetween, said union 31 closing -theupper end of said annular air space and air being supplied thereto underpressure from an air dome 27 connected above the water transfer pipe v13as illustrated. The inner transmission pipe 28 is connected to rthepressure-responsive control switch 19 by the connector element 32. Asbest shown in FIG. 3, an outer union sleeve interconnects the upperconnector 32 with the lower connector 31 as illustrated, thus providinga positive connection for both of the pipes 28 and 29 and sealing offthe upper end of the air space 30.

Air is supplied to the air dome 27 by the reciprocating pump mechanism Rand the volume of air conned within the dome 27 is sufficient to preventwater from being forced up into the conduits 2S and 29 under theoperating pressures as lset forth in the previously described form of myinvention.

Still another alternative form of 'the invention is illustrated in FIG.7 wherein a buried pressure tank 35 which is located substantiallyadjacent the well casing and is disposed a sufficient distance below theground surface to prevent freezing. Any type of conventional pump may beprovided for supplying water to the tank 35 such as the submersible pump36 which delivers water under pumping pressure through delivery pipe 37contained Within a casing 38. The delivery pipe 37 is connected with adistributor head or spool member 39 generally similar to the distributorhead 25 illustrated in FIG. 2. The head 39 has at least one aperture 39atherein for delivering water from the conduit 37 which is connected atthe lower end of the hollow head or spool member 39, outwardly into theannular chamber 40 surrounding said head and into the tank 35 through aconnector conduit 41. A T member 42 surrounds the -head 39 and combinestherewith to form the annular communication chamber 40, the ends ofwhich are sealed by any suitable means such as the O rings 43 mounted onthe head member 39 and sealingly engaged with the inside walls of the Tmember at the respective upper and lower ends of the chamber 40. Ahanger pipe 44 is connected at the upper end of head member 39 and issuspended at its upper end by a well cap 45 supported at the upper endof the upper casing section 47.

In this form of my invention illustrated in FIG. 7, I provide afreeze-proof pressure-responsive switch 19 simlar to the switch 19previously described. This switch 19 is mounted at the upper end of anair transmission tube 48 which is generally similar to the tube 28 shownin FIG. 2. 'Ihe tube 48 is open at the bottom and is supported on thetop of the buried tank 35 as by being carried by the stand pipe orsupporting conduit 49, also open at the bottom land which is fixed atits lower end to said tank and extending upwardly in concentric spacedrelation around the inner air transmission tube 48 to provide an annularair spaoe communicating with the upper end of tank 35 and surroundingsaid inner tube. A coupling 4similar to the coupling shown in FIG. 3 maybe provided for connecting the upper end of the stand pipe 49 with theinner transmission tube 48 and the coupling elements l31 and 32previously described not only interconnect said conduits 48 land 49 butalso provide a dead end for the air space surrounding the inner tube 48.

Air is supplied to the tank 35 a-t the beginning of each pumping cyclein the same manner as that previously described in the other forms ofthis invention. A check valve 15, an air relief valve 17 and a bleedervalve 18 are interposed in the drop pipe 37 in the manner shown in FIG.1, so that the section of drop pipe disposed below the check Valve andabove the bleeder valve 18 becomes lilled with air at the end of eachpumping cycle and this air is supplied to the tank at the beginning ofthe next pumping cycle. In the form of the invention illustrated in FIG.7, the top of the buried tank forms the enlarged air reservoir whichsupplies air to the air transmission tube |`48, which in turn affordscommunication to the pressure switch 19 so that the pressure of the tank35 is transmitted to said switch 19. Since it is important that the tank35 is not overloaded with air, a iioat control air relief valve 50 isprovided which is connected with a float 51 so that whenever the waterlevel in the tank falls below a predetermtined limit, the spring loadedrelief valve 50 discharges air from the tank if the volume in the tankexceeds a predetermined limit.

It will be seen that I have provided three forms of this invention whichpermit a pressure-responsive pump control at the Well site and whichprovide an air transmission and supply system for transmitting the tankpressure to the control switch and positively insuring that no waterwill reach `the switch, thus preventing the switch from becominginoperative due to freezing thereof. It should be noted that the switchand inner conduits or tube elements 28 and 48 can be easily removed fromthe respective stand pipes 29 and 49 by merely removing the uppercoupling element 32 and pulling the entire switch assembly andtransmission tube out of the fixed stand pipe member. This, of course,greatly facilitates servicing of the pressure switch and permits easydefrosting thereof if necessary, although the insulating air chamberdisposed around said transmission tube prevents freezing under normalweather conditions.

It will, of course, be understood that various changes may be made inthe form, details, arrangement and pro'- portions of the parts withoutdeparting from the scope of my invention, which generally statedconsists in the matter set forth in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A pump control switch for use with pressurized water systemsincluding a well casing, a pressure tank, a remotely disposed well pipecommunicating with said pressure tank and having a portion disposedbelow the fros-t level of the ground, and pumping mechanism disposed inthe well casing for supplying water to said tank under pressure, anelectric pressure-responsive pump control switch located in closeassociation to said well casing in a readily accessible location andhaving control connection with the pumping mechanism for actuating thesame in response to variations in the pressure within the well system, ahollow conduit mounted in iixed selected relation to a portion -of thewell system and having said control switch mounted thereon, the lowerend of said conduit communicating with the portion of the well pipedisposed below the -frost level to permit transmission of the pressurein said system to said switch, and means defining an air reservoirchamber at the lower end of said conduit to assure a suicient air supplyto prevent water from reaching said switch due to compression of the airin said reservoir by the pressure in said well system.

2. The structure set forth in claim 1 and the said hollow conduit havinga hollow transmission tube confined in spaced relation therewithin, withthe lower end of said transmission tube as well as said conduitcommunicating with said reservoir, and the upper end of said tubecommunicating with said switch for transmitting the fluid pressure insaid system lto said switch but providing an air space around saidtransmission tube to insulate the same.

3. The structure set forth in claim 2 and said conduit being removablyconnected to said transmission tube to permit removal of thetransmission tube together with said switch without removing the conduitfrom its connection with the system.

4. A water supply system comprising a pressure tank, a pump disposed inspaced relation to the tank, a supply conduit connecting the pump andthe tank and having a portion disposed below the frost level of theground, a pressure-responsive switch remote from the tank and from thepump and disposed above the frost level of the ground, a hollow airtransmission tube communicating at one end with said switch and at theother end with a portion of the supply conduit disposed below the frostlevel of the ground and having an air entrapping enlargement at thelower end thereof of a size so that substantially more air volume lisentrapped within said enlargement than the volume of the airtransmission tube so that variations in the water level within theenlarged portion will still maintain said level below the lower end ofthe tube whereby said tube will be maintained clear to transmit thepressure in said conduit to said switch.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,303,975 Shorb May 20; 1919 1,913,557 Millar .Tune 13, 1933 2,086,521Beckett July 13, 1937 2,269,383 Schultz Jan. 6, 1942 2,318,066 Dodd May4, 1943 2,497,179 Meisner Feb. 14, 1950 2,680,168 Murphy June 1, 19542,756,301 Sutton July 24, 1956 2,807,214 Patterson Sept. 24, 19572,829,597 Patterson Apr. 8, 1958 2,835,200 Mann i May 20, 1958 2,847,939Tubbs Aug. 19, 1958 2,851,951 Deters Sept. 16, 1958 2,914,081 BighamNov. 24, 1959 FOREIGN PATENTS 389,388 Germany Feb. 7, 1924 765,445France Mar. 26, 1934

1. A PUMP CONTROL SWITCH FOR USE WITH PRESSURIZED WATER SYSTEMSINCLUDING A WELL CASING, A PRESSURE TANK, A REMOTELY DISPOSED WELL PIPECOMMUNICATING WITH SAID PRESSURE TANK AND HAVING A PORTION DISPOSEDBELOW THE FROST LEVEL OF THE GROUND, AND PUMPING MECHANISM DISPOSED INTHE WELL CASING FOR SUPPLYING WATER TO SAID TANK UNDER PRESSURE, ANELECTRIC PRESSURE-RESPONSIVE PUMP CONTROL SWITCH LOCATED IN CLOSEASSOCIATION TO SAID WELL CASING IN A READILY ACCESSIBLE LOCATION ANDHAVING CONTROL CONNECTION WITH THE PUMPING MECHANISM FOR ACTUATING THESAME IN RESPONSE TO VARIATIONS IN THE PRESSURE WITHIN THE WELL SYSTEM, AHOLLOW CONDUIT MOUNTED IN FIXED SELECTED RELATION TO A PORTION OF THEWELL SYSTEM AND HAVING SAID CONTROL SWITCH MOUNTED THEREON, THE LOWEREND OF SAID CONDUIT COMMUNICATING WITH THE PORTION OF THE WELL PIPEDISPOSED BELOW THE FROST LEVEL TO PERMIT TRANSMISSION OF THE PRESSURE INSAID SYSTEM TO SAID SWITCH, AND MEANS DEFINING AN AIR RESERVOIR CHAMBERAT THE LOWER END OF SAID CONDUIT TO ASSURE A SUFFICIENT AIR SUPPLY TOPREVENT WATER FROM REACHING SAID SWITCH DUE TO COMPRESSION OF THE AIR INSAID RESERVOIR BY THE PRESSURE IN SAID WELL SYSTEM.